Grain door



` B. B. MORSE GRAIN DOOR Filed J an. 18,'v 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 B. B.Mo-RsE May 2l, 1935.

.GRAIN DOOR Filed Jan. 18, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 2l, 1.935

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE f 6 Claims.

This invention appertains to closures, and more particularly to a noveldoor closure for effecting a seal inthe openings of grain cars and bins,or wherever a tight closureris desired.

As is well known, considerable difculty is experienced with the sealingof the door openings of grain cars. Usually, special panels, or boards,are nailed to the inner face of the door frame across the door opening,vas many panels, or boards, being used as required according to theheight of the grain inthe car.

Obviously, the continual nailing and the cont stant withdrawing of thenails soon ruin the panels and door frames, and the panels are oftenmislaid and lost. Consequently, the use of `the panels, or boards, is anexpensive item. Likewise, there is a certain hazard in the placing andthe removing of the boards, or panels, and also considerable time'isrequired.

Various attempts have been made to eliminate lthe use of the panels, orboards, and certain structures have been proposed. None of thesestructures, to my knowledge, have been success-` ful, possibly due tothe complicated features thereof, or the diiculty of operation when thegrain is packed up against the same.

It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of my invention to providean improved grain door which canbe continually used Without damage toitself or the car, and which is permanently associated with the car,whereby loss is prevented.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide a door which can beVquickly and conveniently operated `without danger on the part of theoperator, and which will effectl a tight closure with the door frame,precluding los's of the grain or other material.

A further important object of my invention is to provide an auxiliarydoor for grain cars, which can be associated with conventional cars nowin use without structural changes thereto, and which will permit theconvenient use of the ordinary outer sliding car door, the auxiliarygrain door being entirely out of the 'way'of the outer door when thesame is either in its operative or inoperative position. A

A further object of my invention is the provision of a grain door forrailroad cars slidably mounted on a guide-track in a novel manner,whereby the v grain door can be readily and quickly moved into or out ofthe door opening, and swung to a closed position in tight contact withthe door frame for preventing lossl of the grain.

A further object of my invention is the provision of means for mountingthe'grain door in a novel manner on the roller brackets of theguidetrack, whereby the grain door can not only be slid into and out ofthe door opem'ng, but can be moved toward and away from the'door frameto eifect the positioning of the door in the car and intight contactwith the door frame, saidconnection permitting the vertical raising ofthe door within certain limits. to assure tight engagement of the doorwith the oor of the car, and to prevent escapement of the grain belowthe door when 10 desired.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a grain-proof slideplate carried by the door adjacent to the lower end of thedoor, wherebyrelease of the grain in back of the door can be accomplished tofacilitate the opening of the door when desired.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved gi iindoor of the above character, which will be durable and eflicient in use,one that will be simple and easy to manufacture, and one which can beplaced upon the market and incorporated with a grain car at acomparatively low cost.

With these and other objects in view, the iny vention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement, and formation of parts, as will behereinafter more specifically described, claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a railroad car showing myimproved grain door applied thereto, the door being shown in its openposition, with parts thereof broken away and in section to illustratestructural details.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, horizontal section through the car, takensubstantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, illustrating my improvedgrain door applied thereto, the door being shown `in its open positionin full lines, and in its closed position in dotted lines. Y

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, vertical section through thecar,'taken substantially on line 3 3 of Figure 1, with my grain doorapplied thereto, the door being shownin its open position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, taken substantially on the linelf-l of Figure 1, showing the door in its closed position.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, vertical section through my improved graindoor, taken substantially on the line 5`5 .of Figure l, illustrating theslide plate carried thereby..

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,the letter vdoor I2. The upper end of the outer door I2 carries vtheroller brackets, or castings, I3, and

. these brackets are slidably mounted on the longitudinally extendingtrack Il mounted above the door opening. A

This door I2 is ordinarily employed when the car is used fortransporting ordinary freight, and

for effecting a complete closure for the door opening when grain isbeing carried to prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to theinterior of the car.

My improved grain door A. can be constructed from any preferred numberof-panels, onboards, I5 ordinarily employed for preventing loss of thegrain, and these panels, or boards I5 can be a rigidly secured togetherin any preferred man- A ed for traveling movement on a track ner, suchas by the use of `metal strips, or the like, IB. i. The door A is of agreater length than the width of the door opening and is adapted to litinside of the car against the door frame when the door is in its closedposition.

Novel means is employed for mounting the door in place, so that the doorcan have sliding movement longitudinally of the car, sliding movementvertically kof the car, and swinging movement in a -vertical planelI,his means includes roller brackets, or castings, II and i8, which aremount- The track' I9 is provided with a portion 2D, which is disposedwithin the door opening II adjacent to the upper end thereof and belowthe track Il for the outer door I2, and an outer portion 2 i which isdisposed exteriorly ,of the car and beyond and at one side of the dooropening. The inner and outer portions 20 and 2| of the trackareconnected together byan arcuate portion 22 which leads around one sideoithe door frame. Brackets 23 are employed for holding the track inplace.

, Pivotally connected with the roller brackets,- or castings, I'I andI8, as at 24, are swingingarms, or levers, 25.` The lower ends of thearms, or levers, 25 are slidably and rotatably connected with the doorA. It will be noted that the slower terminals of the arms, or levers,are' provided Vwith transverselyl extending bearings 26 vforsupporting-a shaft, or pin, 23,. the outer terminals of which carryguide rollers 29.

These guide rollers 29 are slidably and ably received within theguideways 30, bolted or otherwise securely fastened to the door A andadjacent to its upper end. If desired, the guideways 30 can'be in thenature of a casting and formed integrally with the straps I6. Theexterior upper terminals of `the guideways 30 are closed by means ofabutment plates, or stops, 3|, and the rollers 29 normally rest againstsaid stops so that the door is suspended from said rollers.

In use of my improved car door, the door A is slid longitudinally alongthe track I9 into the door opening. Due to the loose fit of the bracketsI1 and I3 on the track the bracketscan readily follow the curvature inthe track, and, if preferred, additional vertical pivots can be providedto permit the swingingof these roller brackets. or castings. l

of the usual, or convenplate so y thereabout.

rotat- 1 As the door is being slid into the door opening, the same isswung back by means of the levers 25 inwardly of the door frame, and thesliding movement is continued until the right-hand edge of the-door(referring to Figure 1) moves past the door opening.

After the door has been swung entirely within the door'opening, the doorcan be slid slightcar is insured.

Any desired means can be provided for clamping the door tightly inplace, and it is also apparent that the weight of the grain against thedoor will tend to hold the same in position. By way of example,'I haveshown clamping arms 32 pivotally connected to brackets 33 carried by thedoor A adjacent to its vertical edges. The brackets 33, if desired, canbe swivelly mounted on the door so as to facilitate the position of thedoor against the door frame. l

After the door is in proper position, the clamping arms 32 are swungover the outer face of the door ram'e'and are brought into gripping conftactwith the door frame by the use of suitable wedges, or adjustingscrews, 3l.

Obviously, after the door is in position, the shoveling o r spouting ofthe grain into the car is slid downwardly so that tight contact ofthedoor with the floor `of thecan be continued above the upper edge of thedoor A. When the car is filled to the desired level, the outer door I2is slid to its closed posi# tion, and this door can be sealed andlocked.

To eilect the easy opening of the door, a'slide plate 35 can be carriedby the lower end of the door A.' and this slide plate normally closes anopening 36 formed in' said door. The slide plate 35 is carried by aguide frame J3I, which also forms a housing for the upper part oftheslide as to prevent the `packing of grain When the slide plate 35 israised the release of grainin backl of the door can be effected, afterwhich the door can position exteriorly of the car.

Obviously, the that the door I2 can be freely used amLif desired,the"lnner face of the door I2, or jam, can be cut awayto compensate forthe arcuate con-G n'ecting portion 22 of the track I3.

The door A is so constructed and is associated with the car in such` amanner that Vthe same does not take up any unnecessary room, either inits open or closed position, and the door can be made to t any portionofthe opening desired, or changed to nt anyopening. A

From the foregoing description it can be seen thatA I have provided anovel grain door of exceptionally simple and durable character, whichwill be economical in use'and which will eectively prevent the loss ofgrain or other loose material.

Changes in detalls may be made without departing from the spirit or the[scope of my in'- vention. but what I claim as new isz- 1. In' a deviceof the class described, a body having an opening, a door for saidopening, a track secured to the body having aportion extendingthrouglrthe door opening'and portions be readily swung to its open'-position of the door A is such `als opening, brackets slidably mountedon the track,'

arms pivotally connected to the brackets, and means slidably andpivotally connecting the arms )to the door, whereby the door can movethrough the door opening and into contact with the inner faces of thewalls of the opening.

3. The combination with a grain car having a door opening and a graindoor for closing said opening, of means for associating the door withthe car including a track having a portion eX- tending through the dooropening. and portions extending exteriorly and interiorly of the dooropening, brackets slidably mounted on the track, and means pivotally andslidably connecting the door with the brackets, whereby the door canmove through the door opening and into contact with the inner faces ofthe walls of the opening.

4. The combination with a railroad car having a. door opening, an outersliding door for closing the opening, and an inner grain door for saidopening, of means for supporting the graindoor, said grain door being ofa greater length than the width of the door opening, a suspension tracksecured to the car having an inner portion said inner door for engagingthe extending into the door opening and an outer portion extendingexteriorly of the door opening, brackets slidably mounted on the track,arms pivotally mounted to the brackets, means slidably and pivotallymounting the lower ends oi the arms to the inner door, and clampscarried by walls of the door opening.

5. 'The combination with a, railroad grain car having a door opening anda grain door for eiecting the closure of said opening, of means forsupporting said door including a horizontally disposed guide-trackhaving an inner portion extending into the opening and an outer portiondisposed exteriorly of the car at one side of the door opening, bracketsslidably mounted on the track, arms pivotally secured to the brackets,pairs of vertically disposed guide-tracks carried by the door, androllers carried by the outer ends of the arms slidably and rotatablymounted within said pairs of guide-tracks. t

6. The combination with a railroad car having a door opening, an outersliding door for closing the opening, and an inner grain door for saidopening, means for supporting the grain door, said grain door being of agreater length than the Width of the door opening, a suspension tracksecured to the car having an inner portion extending into the dooropening, and an outer portion extending exteriorly of the door opening,A

brackets slidably mounted on the track, arms pivotally mounted to thebrackets, and means slidably and pivotally mounting the lower ends ofthe arms to the inner door.

BOWEN B. MORSE.

